The Safest Method for Fueling Your Boat

If you own a boat, you probably spend a significant amount of time fueling it up. However, even for people who have owned boats for years, it can be easy to make some occasional mistakes during the fueling process. With this in mind, here are some tips to help you prevent some of the most common mistakes while fueling up to help you complete the process as safely as possible, allowing you to avoid unnecessary repairs and emergency boat service in Fenton, MI.

Make sure you’re putting in the right type of fuel

More people than you might expect put the wrong type of fuel in their boats. It might come as a bit of a surprise, but there are many people who pull up to the dock and ask for regular gas when they need diesel, or vise versa.

There are also some circumstances in which you might simply not be clear enough about the type of fuel you need, if there is a gas attendant present. If you say you need to “gas up” but really mean you need diesel fuel, there’s room for miscommunication there. Be specific when you say you need gasoline or diesel fuel. This will prevent any errors from occurring.

Make sure you’re getting the right amount of fuel

Knowing how much fuel you want will help the staff at the marina to better assist you. Many boats have irregularly shaped fuel tanks, which can make the gauges less accurate than what you’d typically expect out of other types of vehicles. If the fuel gauge reads that you have one quarter of a tank, try to determine how many gallons you typically need at that level. It’s easy for a spill to occur if the tank is actually fuller than you thought, so try not to go overboard.

Avoid small spills

Knowing how much gasoline you need is a good way to avoid small spills, but it’s also important to adjust your filling habits. Gas docks for boats don’t have the same features that gas stations for cars do, where you can mindlessly pump and wait for it to click off. Many times, these gas pumps for boats do not click off in time. This can result in small spills. At the very least, these spills damage the environment, especially if they get into the water. At the worst, they represent a significant safety hazard, especially if there is anything smoking or burning in the area.

Know where your deck fill is

One of the most common mistakes when fueling up boats is putting the nozzle into the incorrect deck fill. In some cases, water tanks or rod holders can be mistaken for the fuel fill insert. This means you could end up with gallons of fuel in the water or in the bilge in mere minutes. This is a massively expensive mistake and a huge danger.

For more information about staying safe at the fuel pump, contact a boat service in Fenton, MI.

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